Method of applying adhesive tape to spools



March 13, 1934. W Q MILLS 1,950,738

METHOD OF APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE TO` SPOOLS 4Filed 001'.. 13, 1930 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 IMETHOD 0F 1,950,738 APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE '.ro

SPOOLS Wallace C. Mills, Rockford, lll., assigner to J. L.

Clark Manufacturing poration of Illinois Application October 13,

5 Claims.

The invention pertains to the manufacture of spools employed a's containers for adhesive plaster, and the object thereof is to facilitate the r application of the plasterto the spools to the end that a substantial saving in the manufacturing cost may be effected.

'I'he practice heretofore employed in applying adhesive plaster to spools has consisted in winding the tape directly on the core of the spool,

the latter being supported for this purpose on ay Winding mandrel. Since the spools are of greater overall length than the width of the plaster strip to be wound thereon, it has been necessary to wind the spools one at a time in order to avoid r misalinement of the spools relative to the strips as would occur if a number of spools were wound simultaneously from a corresponding number of strips cut simultaneously from a web.

By my improved method of making such spools, I have found it possible to simplify the operation and substantially reduce the expenditure of time. This method consists generally in windingv the cut strips directly upon a mandrel so as to produce a plurality of rolls of plaster capable of easy removal from the mandrel and adapted for subsequent assembly with the parts of the spool.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates, somewhat schematically, a side view of a winding machine of the type in common use.

. Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating ther slitting and winding operation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the end of the web as it is prepared preliminary to the winding operation.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the same.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of a web prepared in a somewhat diierent manner than that shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal sectional view through a completed roll having an axial bore receiving the metallic core of a spool.

Fig. l'1 illustrates the application of heads to the core.

In practice the adhesive plaster web 8 is supplied in the form of a roll 9 which is mounted at one side of the frame lo of the machine. 11 designates a mandrel to which the web 8 is' led over suitable rolls with one of which is associated a series of slitter wheels 12. The latter operate as the web is fed in the rotation of the mandrel to Co., Rockford, lll., a cor- 1930, Serial No. 488,356

(Cl. 24H5) sever the web into a plurality of narrow webs or strips 13 which may be of any desired width. The inner surface of the webl as wound on the roll 9 has the adhesive material applied thereto, and in winding the web onto spools the same arrangement is followed.

In accordance with my invention, the end of the web isinitially prepared to render the surface which contacts with the mandrel non-adhesive, in order that the small rolls formed on the mandrel may be removed readily. In the preferred embodiment this is accomplished by folding the leading end of the web back upon itself as indicated at 13'in Figs. 3 and 4, and since the under side of the web is free from adhesive, the exposed surface of the folded end may be wound directly upon the mandrel to form as an incident to the winding operation an axial bore whose surface will not adhere to the mandrel. 'I'he web may however be wound upon the mandrel tightly enoughA to engage frictionally with the mandrel and thus operate to draw the web through the machine.

In the winding operation, the web is cut by the slitter wheels 12 as above indicated,'so that when a sufficientv quantity of the material has been wound upon the mandrel to form rolls 14 of the proper size, such strips may be severed from the web and then removed from the mandrel.

'I'he individual rolls may .then be separated from each other and the assembling of the completed spool of adhesive completed. In this assembling operation, the core of the spool, usually in the form of a rigid metallic tube 15, is inserted through the bore of each of the rolls, in tightly fitting relation thereto, as permitted by the non-adhesive character of the inner surface of the bore. Thereupon heads 16 may be applied to one or both ends of the core, though in. some instances the heads are omitted.

The heads 16 may be secured to the ends of the core in any preferred manner but preferably the heads are anchored to the ends of the core merelyv by exerting pressure thereon axially of the core. A preferred construction of the spool permitting such assembly consists in forming annular shoulder portions 17 at each end of the core 15, and annular anchoring portions 18 projecting ,axially from each of the heads 16, the

proportions being such that when a head is um pressed 'onto the end of the core, its anchoring portion 18 engages a shoulder 17 with a snap action, thus securely fastening the head in place.

In rendering the end of the web non-adhesive, preparatory to winding the strips into roll form, different methods may be employed. Thus I have illustrated in Fig. 5 the application of a strip 19 of tinfoil or paper to the upper surface of the web transversely of the end thereof. This strip 19, like the folded portion 13a, is made of a width suiiicient to encircle the mandrel and thus prevent the plaster from adhering thereto.

I have found that by initially preparing the plaster in roll form and subsequently assembling the parts of the spool about the roll, the entire operation is very greatly simplified and the time required substantiallyreduced, with a resultant lowering of the manufacturing cost.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of making adhesive plaster spools which consists in preparing the end of an adhesive plaster web for Contact with a winding mandrel so as to render the contacting surface of the web non-adhesive, winding the web thus prepared directly on the mandrel to form as an incident to the winding operation van axial bore having a non-adhesive inner surface, cutting the web as it is wound to form a plurality of narrow rolls, removing the rolls from the mandrel and .separating them, and inserting the core of a adhesive plaster web to provide a non-adhesive surface for contact with a Winding mandrel, winding the web thus prepared directly on the mandrel, cutting the web as it is wound to form a plurality of strips Wound to form a plurality of rolls, removing the rolls from the mandrel, and inserting a metallic core in the bore of each roll.

3. The method of making adhesive plaster spools which includes the step of folding the end of an adhesive plaster web upon itself to provide a non-adhesive contact surface for engagement witha winding mandrel whereby to permit the removal of the plaster in roll form from the mandrel. f

4. The method of making adhesive plaster spools which consists in applying a separately formed strip of non-adhesive material to one end of an adhesive plaster web, winding the web With said strip in contact with the mandrel to form a roll, and removing the roll so as to leave therein an axial bore having a non-adhesive sur.- face adapted to receive a spool core.

5. The method of making adhesive plaster 

